American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America

Twenty-five years ago, when Pat Robertson and other radio and televangelists first spoke of the United States becoming a Christian nation that would build a global Christian empire, it was hard to take such hyperbolic rhetoric seriously. Today, such language no longer sounds like hyperbole but poses, instead, a very real threat to our freedom and our way of life. In "AmeriTwenty-five years ago, when Pat Robertson and other radio and televangelists first spoke of the United States becoming a Christian nation that would build a global Christian empire, it was hard to take such hyperbolic rhetoric seriously. Today, such language no longer sounds like hyperbole but poses, instead, a very real threat to our freedom and our way of life. In "American Fascists, " Chris Hedges, veteran journalist and author of the National Book Award finalist "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, " challenges the Christian Right's religious legitimacy and argues that at its core it is a mass movement fueled by unbridled nationalism and a hatred for the open society. Hedges, who grew up in rural parishes in upstate New York where his father was a Presbyterian pastor, attacks the movement as someone steeped in the Bible and Christian tradition. He points to the hundreds of senators and members of Congress who have earned between 80 and 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian Right advocacy groups as one of many signs that the movement is burrowing deep inside the American government to subvert it. The movement's call to dismantle the wall between church and state and the intolerance it preaches against all who do not conform to its warped vision of a Christian America are pumped into tens of millions of American homes through Christian television and radio stations, as well as reinforced through the curriculum in Christian schools. The movement's yearning for apocalyptic violence and its assault on dispassionate, intellectual inquiry are laying the foundation for a new, frightening America.

"American Fascists, " which includes interviews and coverage of events such as pro-life rallies and weeklong classes on conversion techniques, examines the movement's origins, its driving motivations and its dark ideological underpinnings. Hedges argues that the movement currently resembles the young fascist movements in Italy and Germany in the 1920s and '30s, movements that often masked the full extent of their drive for totalitarianism and were willing to make concessions until they achieved unrivaled power. The Christian Right, like these early fascist movements, does not openly call for dictatorship, nor does it use

physical violence to suppress opposition. In short, the movement is not yet revolutionary. But the ideological architecture of a Christian fascism is being cemented in place. The movement has roused its followers to a fever pitch of despair and fury. All it will take, Hedges writes, is one more national crisis on the order of September 11 for the Christian Right to make a concerted drive to destroy American democracy. The movement awaits a crisis. At that moment they will reveal themselves for what they truly are -- the American heirs to fascism. Hedges issues a potent, impassioned warning. We face an imminent threat. His book reminds us of the dangers liberal, democratic societies face when they tolerate the intolerant....more

Hardcover, 254 pages

Published
January 9th 2007
by Free Press
(first published January 1st 2007)

Community Reviews

This is a very alarming portrait of some of the darkest forces at work in America, or anywhere for that matter. Hedges argues that the extreme wing of the contemporary Christian movement in the US shares much with the actions and worldview of other historical fascist movements, movements that often mask the full extent of their drive for totalitarianism and their willingness to make concessions only until they achieved unrivaled power. There is little in here that I was not aware of, as far as tThis is a very alarming portrait of some of the darkest forces at work in America, or anywhere for that matter. Hedges argues that the extreme wing of the contemporary Christian movement in the US shares much with the actions and worldview of other historical fascist movements, movements that often mask the full extent of their drive for totalitarianism and their willingness to make concessions only until they achieved unrivaled power. There is little in here that I was not aware of, as far as the overall goals of the Christo-fascists, but as he explores some of the details it was illuminating, and even more disturbing than I had already realized.

He describes how a dominionist-based ideology is at the root of a radical movement that seeks to shred the barriers between church and state. The new radical churchies would have been familiar to George Orwell, with the attempt to redefine our very language to their sinister purposes. They are systematically attempting to subvert the root institutions and beliefs of America, intent on ushering in a theocratic state, disenfranchising any who object, attacking the other, whether for sexual or religious preference. He points out how the leaders of this movement have evacuated core Christianity of its meaning, substituting inside the false cover of the Christian name a core of exclusion, violence, victimization, and dehumanization that is very much worth fearing.

There is a reasonable swath of examples from which to choose here. Perhaps I am picking nits, but I felt that, while his take was compelling, I would have been more impressed with more detailed, point by point comparison of contemporary and historical movement actions. Also, the information seemed more anecdotal than scientific. Maybe that might have been addressed by referring to other, more precise, less popular works that detailed the trend by the numbers. But, overall, Hedges makes a compelling and very alarming case that there is considerable darkness afoot and all who value core American values like separation of church and state and the first amendment would do well to pay attention, and take action where possible.

Quotes

P 10America and the Christian religions have no monopoly on goodness or saintliness. God has not chosen Americans as a people above others. The beliefs of Christians are as flawed and imperfect as all religious beliefs. But both the best of American democracy and the best of Christianity embody important values, values such as compassion, tolerance and belief in justice and equality. America is a nation where all have a voice in how we live and how we are governed. We have never fully adhered to these values—indeed, probably never will—but our health as a country is determined by our steadfastness in striving to attain them. And there are times when taking a moral stance, perhaps the highest form of patriotism, means facing down the community, even the nation. Our loyalty to our community and our nation, Reinhold Niebuhr wrote, “is therefore morally tolerable only if it includes values wider than those of the community.”

These values, democratic and Christian, are being dismantled, often with stealth, by a radical Christian movement, known as dominionism, which seeks to cloak itself in the mantle of the Christian faith and American patriotism…Dominionism seeks to redefine traditional democratic and Christian terms and concepts to fit an ideology that calls on the radical church to take political power. It shares many prominent features with classical fascist movements, at least as it is defined by the scholar Robert O. Paxton, who sees fascism as “a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation, or victimhood and by compensatory cultures of unity, energy, and purity, in which a mass-based party of committed nationalist militants, working in uneasy but effective collaboration with traditional elites, abandons democratic liberties and pursues with redemptive violence and without ethical or legal restraints goals of internal cleansing and external expansion.

P 13While traditional fundamentalism shares many of the darker traits of the new national movement—such as blind obedience to a male hierarchy that often claims to speak for god, intolerance toward nonbelievers, and a disdain for rational, intellectual inquiry—it has never attempted to impose its belief system on the rest of the nation. And it has not tried to transform government, as well as all other secular institutions, into extensions of the church. The new radical fundamentalism amounts to a huge and disastrous mutation. Dominionists and their wealthy, right-wing sponsors speak in terms and phrases that are familiar and comforting to most Americans, but they no longer use words to mean what they meant in the past. They engage in a slow process of “logicide,” the killing of words. The old definitions of words are replaced by new ones. Code words of the old belief system are deconstructed and assigned diametrically opposed meanings. Words such as “truth,” “Wisdom,” “Death”, “Liberty,” “Life” and “death” mean life in Christ or death to Christ, and are used to signal belief or unbelief in the risen Lord. “Wisdom” has little to do with human wisdom but refers to the level of commitment and obedience to the system of belief. “Liberty” is not about freedom, but the “liberty” found when one accepts Jesus Christ and is liberated from the world to obey Him. But perhaps the most pernicious distortion comes with the word “love,” the word used to lure into the movement many who seek a warm, loving community to counter their isolation and alienation. “Love” is distorted to mean an unquestioned obedience to those who claim to speak for God in return for the promise of everlasting life. The blind, human love, the acceptance of the other, is attacked as an inferior love, dangerous and untrustworthy.

P 21Dominionists wait only for a fiscal, social or political crisis, a moment of upheaval in the form of an economic meltdown or another terrorist strike on American soil, to move to reconfigure the political system. Such a crisis could unleash a public clamor for drastic new national security measures and draconian reforms to safeguard the nation. Widespread discontent and fear, stoked and manipulated by dominionists and their sympathizers, could be used by these radicals to sweep aside objections of beleaguered moderates in Congress and the courts, those clinging to a bankrupt and discredited liberalism, to establish an American theocracy, a Christian fascism.

P 28The movement is fueled by fear of powerful external and internal enemies whose duplicity and cunning is constantly at work. These phantom enemies serve to keep believers afraid and in a state of constant alert, ready to support repressive measures against all who do not embrace the movement. But this tactic has required the airbrushing out of past racists creeds—an effort that, sometime after 1970, saw Jerry Falwell recall all copies of his earlier sermons warning against integration and the evils of the black race.

P 36Those in the movement now fight, fueled by the rage of the dispossessed, to crush and silence the reality-based world. The dominionist movement is the response of people trapped in a deformed, fragmented and disoriented culture that had become callous and unforgiving, a culture that has too often failed to provide the belonging, care and purpose that make life bearable, a culture that, as many in the movement like to say, has become a “culture of death.” The new utopians are not always wrong in their critique of American society. But what they have set out to create is far, far worse than what we endure. What is happening in America is revolutionary. A group of religious utopians, with the sympathy and support of millions of Americans, are slowly dismantling democratic institutions to establish a religious tyranny, the springboard to an American fascism.

P 151[people] who do not conform to the ideology are gradually dehumanized. They are tainted with the despised characteristics inherent in the godless. This attack is waged in highly abstract terms, to negate the reality of concrete, specific and unique human characteristics, to deny the possibility of goodness in those who do not conform. Some human beings, the message goes, are no longer human beings. They are types. This new, exclusive community fosters rigidity, conformity and intolerance. In this new binary world segments of the human race are disqualified from moral and ethical consideration. And because fundamentalist followers live in a binary universe, they are incapable of seeing others as anything more than inverted reflections of themselves. If they seek to destroy nonbelievers to create a Christian America, then nonbelievers muse be seeking to destroy them. This belief system negates the possibility of the ethical life. It fails to grasp that goodness must be sought outside the self and that the best defense against evil is to seek it within. When people come to believe that they are immune from evil, that there is no resemblance between themselves and those they define as the enemy, they will inevitably grow to embody the evil they claim to fight. It is only by grasping our own capacity for evil, our own darkness, that we hold our own capacity for evil at bay. When evil is always external, then moral purification always entails the eradication of others.

I held off on reviewing this book. Anyone who has read many of my reviews and has actually read this book will know I'll disagree with it's conclusions. I got involved in a discussion of it in the comments section of someone else's review that got rather...heated. But I decide I was now "committed", so to speak. So, despite the fact that some may like to have me "committed" I take keyboard in hand so to speak and brave the waves of electrons.

In this case, I not only disagree with the book's concI held off on reviewing this book. Anyone who has read many of my reviews and has actually read this book will know I'll disagree with it's conclusions. I got involved in a discussion of it in the comments section of someone else's review that got rather...heated. But I decide I was now "committed", so to speak. So, despite the fact that some may like to have me "committed" I take keyboard in hand so to speak and brave the waves of electrons.

In this case, I not only disagree with the book's conclusions however, I disagree with it's methods. The book makes use of a variation of the "straw man" strategy (in logic the Straw Man fallacy) in which you set up an argument or an opponent and "state their arguments, points of view, or beliefs" in such a way that they are "easy to knock down". From misinterpreting the Bible to misstating beliefs and actual statements the book runs the gamut. You may not be fond of "religion" in general or Christianity in particular, but don't depend on this volume for your arguments OR your facts.

Among other things, the book attempts to set up a picture of "conservative Christians" (a phrase with multiple meanings, not some kind of monolithic group) as present day "Fascists" (read Nazis). First I'd suggest that the writer learn the definition of Fascist.

YES, there are racist hate groups that try to incorporate the name "Christian" into their group. They do not reflect the teachings of Christ. Yes at least two abortion doctors have been murdered, and other clinic workers have been hurt or killed. Yes there have been at least a dozen abortion clinic bombings or fires. Based on this some would plaster all Christians as killers or arsonists. BUT what is the difference in the Christian community when these things happen? The mass of Christians VOCALLY and LOUDLY renounce these actions. They aren't quiet, they don't sit back and remain on the side lines, they set out to say Christ did not teach hate, Christ brought "Good News" to "ALL PEOPLE".

It's tempting for me to start giving examples of misrepresentations from the book and refuting them, the accounts of Genesis or the use of money by "faith based Charities" and so on. I could make this a multi-page review.

Look, the book sets out to draw a parallel between "Conservative Christians" and Nazis, comparing this by equating "Liberals or Progressives" with the Jews of the camps, yet it's the Christians themselves who are the targets of marginalization here.

What is a "Conservative Christian"? Is it someone who holds "Conservative" political views and is a Christian? Or is it a Christian who holds "Conservative" views about Christianity? Is it a phrase that refers to both, neither, a combination of the two? Why are people who by definition believe in small non-intrusive government being compared to fascists? Why are people who believe in free will and that everyone must be free to decide what they believe and if they believe being compared to Nazis? The bulk of Christians who are conservative believe that ALL must be free to decide if they will be religious at all, if they are then what religion they will be, and ALL must be protected to believe what they will and free to express those beliefs. But NO one can control the use of a name. If a hate group calls itself for example " Westboro Baptist Church" then they have the right to do that and to spout what they will. It doesn't mean that they represent the views of all Baptists. (By the way, I'm not a Baptist of any stripe...just an example).

I suspect that the book has an axe to grind and possibly an agenda from the word go...but that's just me. ...more

Mike (the Paladin)Apparently you don't read the actual reasoning then. I get that you don't want to accept it, I've run into that over and over.

We shall I suppose haveApparently you don't read the actual reasoning then. I get that you don't want to accept it, I've run into that over and over.

We shall I suppose have to agree to disagree....more
updated
Mar 10, 2015 08:41PM

MattBlake: Would that I would receive even the adult version of that in response. I strongly get the sense of speaking to one with their fingers in theirBlake: Would that I would receive even the adult version of that in response. I strongly get the sense of speaking to one with their fingers in their ears going, "I'm not listening..." I cannot help you if the only thing you hear is "Well so are you", since I said nothing of the sort. That would seem to be your problem and not mine....more
Mar 10, 2015 07:56PM

The danger of the "Christian" right wing to our freedom and right to live as we desire is vastly underrated, and Hedges does a brilliant job of exposing this danger. By defining what is right and wrong, by viewing history and even prehistory through the prism of a literal interpretation of the Bible, they seek to impose their worldview on all and to hell - literally - with those who refuse to accept their way. Hedges has solid credentials as a "person of faith", but sees clearly the inherent danThe danger of the "Christian" right wing to our freedom and right to live as we desire is vastly underrated, and Hedges does a brilliant job of exposing this danger. By defining what is right and wrong, by viewing history and even prehistory through the prism of a literal interpretation of the Bible, they seek to impose their worldview on all and to hell - literally - with those who refuse to accept their way. Hedges has solid credentials as a "person of faith", but sees clearly the inherent dangers of merging politics with faith. The example of Nazi Germany - where adherence to the official line is the only way to succeed - is all too close a parallel. Although it is likely to be read only by those who agree with Hedges, it should be read by all; many of the more thoughtful among the Christian Right would likely have the wool pulled from their eyes....more

So, Ellis and I just finished reading this as Book #1 in our newly-founded 2-person book group, and while it wouldn't have been my first pick, I actually really enjoyed reading it, and it was an excellent book for discussion.

Chris Hedges describes the idealogy of the extreme Christian Right group based here in America, and frankly, I found it to be pretty scary. The idea behind creating an entirely Christian nation (as the Christian Right would like to do) is not only un-democratic, but it is alSo, Ellis and I just finished reading this as Book #1 in our newly-founded 2-person book group, and while it wouldn't have been my first pick, I actually really enjoyed reading it, and it was an excellent book for discussion.

Chris Hedges describes the idealogy of the extreme Christian Right group based here in America, and frankly, I found it to be pretty scary. The idea behind creating an entirely Christian nation (as the Christian Right would like to do) is not only un-democratic, but it is also completely intolerant of any person's beliefs or religion that is not Christian. Isn't freedom of religion and individual rights what our country was founded upon?

Hedges believes that forcing Christianity upon people or nations will only lead to a fascist state. I loved the quote by Luis Palau, a protege of Billy Graham, who does not conform to the ideas of the Christian Right. He says that "change comes from personal conviction, not by Christianizing a nation. If we become called to Christ, we will build an effective nation through personal ethics. When you lead a life of purity, when you respect your wife and are good to your family, when you don't waste money gambling and womanizing, you begin to work for better schools, for more protection and safety for your community. All change, historically, comes from the bottom up."

The Christian Right, however, feel that violence and intolerance must be used to rid the nation of evil, or those that they see as evil (ie: non-Christians, gays, pro-choice advocates, scientists, etc). Hedges says that, "This rhetoric of depersonalization creates a frightening moral fragmentation, an ability to act with compassion and justice toward those within the closed, Christian circle yet allow others outside the circle to be abused, silenced, and stripped of their rights."

"The radical Christian Right calls for exclusion, cruelty and intolerance in the name of God."

Hedges main idea is that we simply cannot be tolerant of intolerance. He says that, "I do not deny the right of Christian radicals to be, to believe and worship as they choose. But I will not engage in a dialogue with those who deny my right to be, who delegitimize my faith and denounce my struggle before God as worthless."...more

Having hung out with a lot of main line Christians as well as a lot of evangelicals and card-carrying fundamentalist loonies in my day, I have to commend Chris Hedges on his attempt to characterize that last group there. He does a stellar job of describing the inner workings of the loonies. He pretty much has 'em nailed. I also deeply appreciate his use of Arendt and Popper in providing a theoretical framework with which to understand the dangers of fundamentalist lunacy. This book is readable,Having hung out with a lot of main line Christians as well as a lot of evangelicals and card-carrying fundamentalist loonies in my day, I have to commend Chris Hedges on his attempt to characterize that last group there. He does a stellar job of describing the inner workings of the loonies. He pretty much has 'em nailed. I also deeply appreciate his use of Arendt and Popper in providing a theoretical framework with which to understand the dangers of fundamentalist lunacy. This book is readable, accessible to any reasonably intelligent person, and cogent in its arguments.

I think, because he has never been inside either evangelicalism OR fundamentalism, his characterizations of the broader scope of evangelicalism misses the mark and may leave readers with the impression that the philosophies of the loonies hold more sway with the general evangelical population than they actually do. That's the reason why I didn't give it a full-on five-star rating. A lot of run-of-the-mill evangelicals are like run-of-the-mill people everywhere. They don't think overly deeply about the implications of their belief system. When faced with the bald fascism of the hard-core religious right, they sorta blink and say, "well, I'm not THAT conservative!" They don't see how they are related to the Dominionist Christians. Hedges does point this out at least once in the book, but it is too easy for the uninitiated to miss that every evangelical is NOT a dominionist. Not by a longshot. Otherwise, good book!...more

American Fascists should be read by people willing to think. Those with closed minds should buy at least three copies, and pass it around their friends [Maybe one of them will start thinking.:] The very beginning of this book is an abstract of an essay by Umberto Eco entitled “Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt.” It is an annotated list of traits found in all forms of authoritarianism (Fascism). By itself this short essay goes a long way toward describing the so-called ChrAmerican Fascists should be read by people willing to think. Those with closed minds should buy at least three copies, and pass it around their friends [Maybe one of them will start thinking.:] The very beginning of this book is an abstract of an essay by Umberto Eco entitled “Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt.” It is an annotated list of traits found in all forms of authoritarianism (Fascism). By itself this short essay goes a long way toward describing the so-called Christian Right in America. But this book contains much more.Hedges calls the current tenet of Christian Rightists –Dominionism- (their Man has dominion over everything) and equates it with fascism. One of their methods is logocide, the killing of words. That is changing the definition of words, hijacking language, and thereby strangling thought. The author argues the Bush administration is diverting funds to faith-based organizations and in effect bankrolling churches and organizations seeking to dismantle American democracy and create a theocratic state. If one takes a world view, one will notice Christian Rightists and radical Islamists share many beliefs. Among the interesting facts Hedges puts forth is: Red States have higher murder, divorce, illegitimacy, and teenage birth rates than the Blue States which have kept evangelicals at bay.When despair is profound, the desperate seek miracles. It is easer to look for hope and comfort in the mystical hand of God. Christian Rightists abuse this emotion and target the vulnerable. They will ‘love-bomb’ a prospective convert then argue that doubt and questioning are sins. The only proper relationship is submission. Their hyper-masculinity crushes the independence and self-expression of women. A cult of fear is created as they cultivate a sense of persecution.A war on truth is going on. Christian Rightists argue for creationism and that there is a divine sanction of the free market, of unhindered profit, the God-given American freedom to exploit human beings to make money. Christian Rightists have tenets for people of ‘high character.’ All are told to watch for social and political deviants. The idea that there is only one orthodox truth and all dissent is heresy is broadcast far and wide. This includes especially the idea that those who do not submit and do as they are told are not to be allowed to contaminate the public domain.The late Dr. James Luther Adams of Harvard Divinity School noted that the mask of religion hides irreligion. The chief goal of totalitarianism is to tell all citizens what to believe, how to behave and how to speak. Hedges argues convincingly that the radical Christian Right calls for exclusion, cruelty and intolerance in the name of God.This is a good book for anyone who feels that God gave Man a brain to think for himself. If you are one of those willing to let others think for you, you are probably reading this anyway....more

I used to think Christian fundamentalism in America was like an ad hoc movement of some hypnotized chickens. But according to this book, it seems to be a pretty big deal. I always think it’d be good to look at the reason why people believe in such absurd nonsense before critiquing them. The only chapter that serves that purpose is chapter two, cultural despair. This is where it arouses my sympathy: many people, facing economic difficulties and psychological crisis, feel unrooted, lost, desperateI used to think Christian fundamentalism in America was like an ad hoc movement of some hypnotized chickens. But according to this book, it seems to be a pretty big deal. I always think it’d be good to look at the reason why people believe in such absurd nonsense before critiquing them. The only chapter that serves that purpose is chapter two, cultural despair. This is where it arouses my sympathy: many people, facing economic difficulties and psychological crisis, feel unrooted, lost, desperate and dejected. In an isolating and insecure society plagued by crime, violence, alcoholism, high unemployment, fundamentalist Christian doctrine provides them with exactly what they need: a loving community, social support, promise of heaven and salvation and a rigid moral ground. The rest of the book deals with how evangelists spread their faith using different tactics like scaremongering, love-bombing, massive tv and radio networks, God-reviewed articles disproving science. It is pretty scary how influential right-wing Christians are in the US government, according to the statistics in this book: “Christian fundamentalists now hold a majority of seats in 18 Republican Party state committees, 45 senators and 186 members of the House of Rep earned approval ratings of 80 to 100% from the 3 most influential Christian right advocacy group. 30% of American schools with sex ed teach abstinence only. 40% of respondents to a poll believe in the Bible as the actual word of God and that it is taken literally, word for word. 80% think God works miracles, half say angels exist.” Ouch. The book provides a detailed and amusing account of what’s happening inside evangelical churches, what they preach and how people react to such callings. But the book would be much better if Chris Hedges could provide a more constructive solution. His solution is, basically, DON’T TALK TO FUNDAMENTALISTS. We can’t be tolerant to those who are intolerant to us, because once they seize power, they will take away our freedom and skin us one by one. Although I agree with him this phenomenon is dangerous, he completely ignores the social and economic backdrop that drive these people to this ideology of fear, intolerance and frankly, fanatical bullshit. So instead of ridiculing them, why can’t we provide them with a more loving community, better working environment, better secular education, better social support? Second, this book is more like an anecdotal rant mocking the stupidity of various Christian lunatics than a scholarly assessment of the movement. But I’d read a bit more on German fascism to see if it’s really true they’re similar phenomena. Anyway, 3 stars for its humor value, I laughed my head off while reading this book:On the Creation Museum in Kentucky: “it boasts an elaborate display of the Garden of Eden in which Adam and Eva, naked but strategically positioned not to show it, swim in a river as dinosaurs and giant lizards roam the banks. Before Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, all of the dinosaurs were peaceable plant eaters. The evidence, is found in Genesis, in which God gives “green herb” to every creature to eat.”“Whitcomb brings up some of the stickier problems in Genesis, such as the account that God created light on the first day and the sun on the fourth day. He posits that God created a “temporary” light until the sun was for. The reason is that God wants to abolish the cult of sun worship. And don’t think for one minute America has abandoned sun worship, either in public school textbooks, which starts this way: “billions of years ago, solar radiation bathed the primeval seas and activated lifeless chemicals and coalesced them into complex, self-reproducing organisms… what you have just heard was a sun-worship service.”“those who join forces with the Antichrist in the Left Behind series, include the UN, the Europe, Russia, Iraq, all Muslims, the media, liberals, freethinkers and international bankers. The Antichrist, who heads the UN, eventually moves his headquarters to Babylon… Europe, because it has so few Bible-believing Christians, will not see large sections of its population lifted to heaven in the rapture. The US, however, will be devastated when tense of millions of its Christians disappear, including half of the military. America will suddenly become a Third World power, and Europe, ruled by the Antichrist, will dominate the planet.”

More thoughtful than the title suggests, Chris Hedges lays out an informed analysis of the dominionist movement in the United States and how it has used the sympathies of the Christian Right to further anti-free speech and anti-freedom of religion/freedom from fear/freedom of expression agendas.

While every person's religious belief is protected by the Constitution, a totalitarian agenda is not. What has increasingly happened since the late sixties is a movement within the Christian Right to estMore thoughtful than the title suggests, Chris Hedges lays out an informed analysis of the dominionist movement in the United States and how it has used the sympathies of the Christian Right to further anti-free speech and anti-freedom of religion/freedom from fear/freedom of expression agendas.

While every person's religious belief is protected by the Constitution, a totalitarian agenda is not. What has increasingly happened since the late sixties is a movement within the Christian Right to establish a theocracy in America, with the rule of law, the planning of the future, and choosing of leadership left up to God. This is dangerous for several reasons:

1) Establishing the ruling power for one religious belief is the death of all other's freedom of religion.

2) The legitimizing of forces in the faith realm with pseudoscience creates individuals that cannot think critically and that think that "facts" are interchangeable statements of belief rather than evidential phenomena.

3) A belief that people who are not "with God" (and in this case, hold a very specific set of religious beliefs) do not have a right to expression. This agenda is extremely hostile to civil liberties and the rule of law.

4) Relying on God for all provision (regulating the market, choosing our leaders, better jobs, better opportunities, better health/healthcare) causes people to withdraw from the civic realm and cease to better society through action (relying solely on prayer and individual acts of kindness). While individual acts of kindness are wonderful, the withdrawal from the civic realm undermines the power of a large collective that is able to provide services for its people (for example, the military is more powerful because it is made up of people from the whole nation, rather than each community having its own militia). Therefore an endemic culture of despair sets in (and already has across much of the country) where there is no hope for better jobs, better healthcare, better wages, a better life. Faced with this situation, many people turn to religious leaders offering hope but no solution for their despair beyond a heavenly reward.

5) Many in the Christian Right believe that ideas counter to their own are "of Satan". While I affirm these people's right to believe what they will, it is imperative that dissidents cease to take such accusations lightly, and demand their own right to disagree. For many in the Christian Right, a discourse is impossible -- only conversion. A liberal appeal to "tolerance" is impotent without recognizing the dangers of a belief system that is fundamentally hostile to reason and free thought.

Lastly, Chris Hedges, who was both a foreign correspondent for the New York Times for 20+ years and a trained theologian at Harvard Divinity School, is able to balance both empathy towards the need for a sacred realm while making a detailed argument against the anti-Constitutional and anti-American sentiments that dominionists and their sympathizers wrap in up in the flag.

The only way to counter this movement is for people that want to maintain free discourse and free speech, the right to dissent and congregate, to become involved in government at the local, regional, and national level. Civic duty is a duty to our neighbors, ALL neighbors (regardless of creed, religion, or race), and the only way to defend this foundation of society is to actively participate in it.

This book stirred up so many emotions in me. Simply because from the ages of 5-13 I was a part of this "Christian Right" due to my attendance in a very fundamentalist Christian school. At this school I was inundated with talks of the Rapture, how we had to always prepare for so called "end of days", how Ouija boards could levitate and destroy themselves if you told them too, and that every second of every day someone was going to hell. Horrible things to tell an impressionable child who at the aThis book stirred up so many emotions in me. Simply because from the ages of 5-13 I was a part of this "Christian Right" due to my attendance in a very fundamentalist Christian school. At this school I was inundated with talks of the Rapture, how we had to always prepare for so called "end of days", how Ouija boards could levitate and destroy themselves if you told them too, and that every second of every day someone was going to hell. Horrible things to tell an impressionable child who at the age of 11 made the decision (after seeing a horrible film that featured such crap as heavy metal album covers, supposed Satanic quotes from rocks stars, etc. Basically scaring the hell out of me, pardon the pun) to turn my back on the whole damn thing. When one reads this book it sounds too crazy to be true but alas it is true. All of it. This does happen in society today and this movement is very strong. Now granted there the author did make some hasty generalizations about things and did sugarcoat other groups that were not Christian but the message and correlation to facism was too much to ignore. This is a very real movement. A movement that has very clear enemies. A movement that craves an End of Times but the unanswered question is what comes after that? Peace? Is peace even possible? According to this group, no, on Earth peace is never possible. Particularly disturbing was the discussion of how to recruit more believers by telling these so called tragedy stories. Such as immense failures then all of the sudden "finding Jesus". Stories such as utter despair or tragic car accidents, and the like. I say this because in junior high our principal told a story very similar to the "sell them Jesus" stories that are listed in this book. He was in a horrific car accident, he was thrown out of the vehicle, and the other 3 in the car died. He then found Jesus. Come to find out this was just one more thing meant to brainwash young, impressionable kids. Of course, every religious group has their fringe groups and for Christianity, fundamentalists Christians are theirs. This most certainly does not speak for every Christian out there, not at all. Just like Orthodox Judaism absolutely does not speak for every Jew. The most important message that comes out of this book is that these groups do have a right to exist. However, these groups in a democracy must always be kept in check. We are not a Christian nation. We are a nation built on a variety of creeds, races, ages, cultures, etc. There are no absolutes in this life. We don't have all the answers to life's questions, nor are we meant to. What is important is the individual and his/her identity in this world. The individual's struggle within himself/herself. Not a group of individuals making the decision that they are right and everyone who doesn't believe is wrong. All religion should be treated as simply something that is part of society but something that a rational democratic society should always keep in check and not allow to take over. ...more

As a fervent reader, I understand the desire to derive meaning from stories, especially the stories of one’s own life. It is unpleasant to think of the universe as a vast, meaningless place where people have no real purpose but simply move about and eventually disappear. However, sometimes this desire to elicit meaning from life can cause serious problems. It goes from providing a group of people with a purpose to curtailing the lives of other human beings. This phenomenon is the focus of ChrisAs a fervent reader, I understand the desire to derive meaning from stories, especially the stories of one’s own life. It is unpleasant to think of the universe as a vast, meaningless place where people have no real purpose but simply move about and eventually disappear. However, sometimes this desire to elicit meaning from life can cause serious problems. It goes from providing a group of people with a purpose to curtailing the lives of other human beings. This phenomenon is the focus of Chris Hedges’ book American Fascists, which details the techniques and tactics Christian extremists use to curb the freedoms of open societies and the characteristics they share with fascist movements.

Hedges opens the book with an essay by Umberto Eco, which enumerates some of the tenets of fascism, such as its need for consensus and fear of differences; its adherence to a traditionalism that subscribes to pre-determined and unchangeable values; its dislike for rationalism, individual thought, and dissent; its persecution complex, in which the believers are constantly being threatened; its belief that “life is permanent warfare”; and its likely rise during times of turbulence, especially economic crises.

Hedges makes it clear that the extreme Christians—a group he calls the “Dominionists”—illustrate these same characteristics. They offer an orderly and structured version of life that overrides the “messiness of human existence.” One aspect of this structure is the submission of the followers to God, which takes away men’s masculinity, forcing them to regain it through dominance over wives, children, and independent thinkers. They actively tell believers to eschew reason and feel it in their hearts that God’s will must be followed. They obsess about the “secular humanists” who they believe are constantly trying to destroy them, thus, fueling even more their hatred of outsiders. They take advantage of people undergoing extreme hardships, whether in economic or psychological terms. The belief structure they’ve established allows them to pass off the immorality of their actions to someone else: a higher being who demands they act in accordance with his wishes lest they be punished eternally.

What is, perhaps, most surprising about the book, though, is not Hedges’ crisp, articulate, and well-reasoned arguments but the tone he takes in making them. When discussing a group with such radical views, it would be easy for him to mock and spew vitriol in their direction, yet Hedges maintains his forceful urgency of decrying the intolerance of “Dominionists” without losing his compassion and understanding. He actually takes the advice he himself lays out: that real faith and progress come from uncertainty while a false certainty encourages the moral superiority of one group over another. He and others—most notably, the writers of the Bible—attempt to answer these massive questions of human existence but are still errant. When Hedges depicts real “Dominionists” he has interviewed, it is not as evil adversaries but as frail human beings trying to overcome the incomprehensibility of the universe, which is the same position we all find ourselves in....more

I initially saw author Chris Hedges speak on BookTV about this book, and was enchanted by the fiery invective and seething passion he had for his subject matter. It was a powerful sermon aimed at the "dominionist" movement in fundamental Christianity, led by people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. On the surface, his argument is obvious at points, as this group is already much maligned by mainstream media and the liberal elite. But his perspective is refreshing, as he not only delves into tI initially saw author Chris Hedges speak on BookTV about this book, and was enchanted by the fiery invective and seething passion he had for his subject matter. It was a powerful sermon aimed at the "dominionist" movement in fundamental Christianity, led by people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. On the surface, his argument is obvious at points, as this group is already much maligned by mainstream media and the liberal elite. But his perspective is refreshing, as he not only delves into the specific ways that these dominionists afflict the poor, tired, and desperate, but also the ways that their counterparts, the liberal community at large, has aided in their growing powerbase. As he states, the paradox of liberalism is to allow every opinion as valid, no matter how hateful and violent, and thus he does not expect the average liberal mind to have any teeth and power to combat it. He does not make easy targets of the masses of downtrodden souls who make up the movement, often giving them humane descriptions and sympathy for their situation. Hedges refuses to blame the victims, but instead blames the society that created them and the villains who exploit them. While the book is too short and sometimes repetitive, it is a fiery sermon from the Mount, a angry diatribe against a growing threat, and shows the anger and passion that is necessary to make it stop. ...more

This book popped up on my "Recommendations" from Goodreads this morning - I had completely forgotten that I had read it in 2007. I gave it four stars because I think his premise is correct on many points - for example that the politics of what is now anointed as "conservatism" by the Christian and not-so-Christian right is informed by an apocalyptic vision of the imminent second coming of Our Lord and Savior (I believe that He is coming, also, but when that is is up to the Father: "But about thaThis book popped up on my "Recommendations" from Goodreads this morning - I had completely forgotten that I had read it in 2007. I gave it four stars because I think his premise is correct on many points - for example that the politics of what is now anointed as "conservatism" by the Christian and not-so-Christian right is informed by an apocalyptic vision of the imminent second coming of Our Lord and Savior (I believe that He is coming, also, but when that is is up to the Father: "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Mark 13:32) that frustrates any form of dialog with a "take no prisoners" with Democrats or anyone else who doesn't share their views. I'm a Christian, and I unashamedly believe in miracles and angels. But I utterly reject the conflation of religion and politics, of church and state, the Manichean "if you're not with us your against us" (and, by the way, who the hell is "us"?), and the prideful and arrogant notion that my country is at the vanguard of a political and moral warm-up for Armageddon. The urgency of some of Hedges' arguments may have lost some of their relevancy because of the countervailing politics of the so-called "left" during the Obama administration. However, his characterization of HOW some proponents of evangelical Christianity have changed the fundamental (no pun intended) tone and tactics of the way we "govern" in all three branches, principally in the utter lack of civility and reasoned debate, remains accurate. One person's straw man is another's hero. (less) ...more

The word "brilliant" is not one I often use on a non-fiction book, but it is the exactly correct word for this book. Chris Hedges is a former New York Times journalist, award-winning, who now devotes his talents to investigating current conditions in the world and sharing his analysis with those among us who are concerned for the survival of our democracy.

Hedges' analysis of the Christian Right's rise to power in the U.S. is frightening. It both mirrors the Nazis' rise in Germany, but also addsThe word "brilliant" is not one I often use on a non-fiction book, but it is the exactly correct word for this book. Chris Hedges is a former New York Times journalist, award-winning, who now devotes his talents to investigating current conditions in the world and sharing his analysis with those among us who are concerned for the survival of our democracy.

Hedges' analysis of the Christian Right's rise to power in the U.S. is frightening. It both mirrors the Nazis' rise in Germany, but also adds the uniquely American touch of apple pies delivered to neighbors to con them into joining the cults, the tithing of significant amounts and turning over to these essentially political institutions enormous wealth which they use to try to eliminate freedoms, eliminate freedom of people to either belong or not belong to religion, and to subvert our elections through sneaky underhanded means.

We can thank the Christian Right for the murderous ignorance of the Bush era, for the renewed love of war seen among an unfortunate segment of our country, the blind obedience to authority, the undermining of public schools, irrational hatred among religious groups, denial of women's rights, all the result of the ignorant white men who run these institutions usually motivated by a desire for power, money, and sex.

This book is a must-read. Read it, pass it on to your friends and neighbors. Then prepare yourself to defend our democracy against those who would destroy it....more

It was meeting a few everyday German people when I was a child that instilled in me a morbid fascination with the history of Nazi Germany. Learning about the horrors that occurred in their country for many years, I wondered how people who seemed so ordinary—so much like us—could have ignored (much less been complicit in) such unimaginable cruelty.

The answer, of course, is that over a period of years, skillful propaganda and cultural manipulation had sold “Aryan” Germans a world view about theirIt was meeting a few everyday German people when I was a child that instilled in me a morbid fascination with the history of Nazi Germany. Learning about the horrors that occurred in their country for many years, I wondered how people who seemed so ordinary—so much like us—could have ignored (much less been complicit in) such unimaginable cruelty.

The answer, of course, is that over a period of years, skillful propaganda and cultural manipulation had sold “Aryan” Germans a world view about their own superiority and desensitized them to the humanity of others.

Comparisons to Nazi fascism have become so commonplace in American political rhetoric as to have almost lost all meaning. But in American Fascists, Chris Hedges makes a convincing case that a similar movement is afoot in modern America. The inescapable conclusion is that the unthinkable could happen here, too.

Full of factual observations and stories about real people, this book demonstrates how a small core group of Christian extremists—those who wish to establish a fundamentalist religious oligarchy based on “Biblical law” in the U.S.—have spread their influence into all facets of the media and the highest echelons of government. Hedges warns that these radicals, called Dominionists, "can count on the passive support of huge numbers of Christians, even if many of these Christians may not fully share dominionism’s fierce utopian vision, fanaticism or ruthlessness.”

Highly readable, this book allows the reader to listen to some of the political discourse in America with a new ear and a heightened awareness of some of the real dangers threatening the future of our children....more

A brilliantly researched and written argument that highlights the totalitarian elements of religion and its inhuman role in modern politics. Should be required reading for high school students but hey, in a country where 'intelligent design' is considered factual in way too many communities, that aint gonna happen :)

Despite the constant stream of screaming we receive in both ears regarding America's cultural and socioeconomic direction, the subject is a matter to be taken seriously. While so many snake-oil salesmen attempt to offer us their own variety of tonic, we must navigate the din toward the truth of the matter.

One of those inescapable truths is that we are a nation of all people of all walks of life. And we must remain as such. We see what the pursuit hegemony has done to Russia and China and we wantDespite the constant stream of screaming we receive in both ears regarding America's cultural and socioeconomic direction, the subject is a matter to be taken seriously. While so many snake-oil salesmen attempt to offer us their own variety of tonic, we must navigate the din toward the truth of the matter.

One of those inescapable truths is that we are a nation of all people of all walks of life. And we must remain as such. We see what the pursuit hegemony has done to Russia and China and we want no part of that.

Christ Hedges' book entitled 'American Fascists' is a ferocious affair that targets not Christianity, but those that have infiltrated the Westernized version of Christianity to their own gain. Hedges writes in considerable detail regarding the bizarre roadshow that is the flamboyant Christian Right in all of their gun-toting glory. Trinity Broadcast Network, Dobson, Benny, Hinn, and many others are observed and their behaviors are recorded. Behavior is an observable and measurable thing, and Hedges approaches his quarry with notepad and pen in hand, relaying to us all of the horrors he observes at various church functions, political rally's, and fundraisers. When you are finished reading this book, you will know what a demon's resume would consist of; merely look up any guest star on TBN.

Hedges also collates his measurable observations with similar historical events including the Nazi party's rise to power. With the aid of Umberto Echo, the similarities between the Christo-fascists faux patriotism and the Nazi party's faux patriotism is DEAD ON. I can't tell you how much that disturbed me, especially when I recollect the 2008 Republican Primary. Instead of having only valid candidates up there, we had three infiltrators that wanted to make the United States a Christian Theocracy in all but name.

Hedges, with his seminary Harvard education, makes it consistent and clear that not only is the Christian Right in constant violation of American design, but also in Christian design as well. Bibles being re-written and the promise of wealth for the healthy was not at all a Christian principal, but it IS a vehicle for the Christo-fascist.

So why the four stars? Hedges is angry, and his anger colors and frames much of his argument. Too much, to be honest. Often I felt I had to decipher his frustrations from his observations, and while his observations and data are still viable, I didn't need him to interpret them FOR me.

My Dad's Mom was actually cut from cloth very similar to this, except she might not have been quite as much about world domination (she lived in Wisconsin). But her and others I've known give me real life experience - although I'm sure much less scary than the real real extremists shown here.

This part from Will's review:P 21Dominionists wait only for a fiscal, social or political crisis, a moment of upheaval in the form of an economic meltdown or another terrorist strike on American soil, to moMy Dad's Mom was actually cut from cloth very similar to this, except she might not have been quite as much about world domination (she lived in Wisconsin). But her and others I've known give me real life experience - although I'm sure much less scary than the real real extremists shown here.

This part from Will's review:P 21Dominionists wait only for a fiscal, social or political crisis, a moment of upheaval in the form of an economic meltdown or another terrorist strike on American soil, to move to reconfigure the political system. Such a crisis could unleash a public clamor for drastic new national security measures and draconian reforms to safeguard the nation.

... reminds me of the Naomi Klein book "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism" .., maybe will try and read that before this to see if they describe adjacent/interlocking phenomena.

Just watched 'Milk' - awesome; in no small part for it's portrayal of the horror that was Anita Bryant, early soldier of this movement I guess.

He is scrupulous in pointing out that narrow, judgmental, and violent views are not characteristic of Christians; nor are they an aspect of evangelical Christianity, per se. The groups that advocate theocracy are a very particular strain of "Christian." He makes a fascinating point about the dangers of exclusivity in religion by stating, rather poetically, that mystery is one of the key facets of faith. And uncertainty and change areI found this to be a passionate and well-researched analysis.

He is scrupulous in pointing out that narrow, judgmental, and violent views are not characteristic of Christians; nor are they an aspect of evangelical Christianity, per se. The groups that advocate theocracy are a very particular strain of "Christian." He makes a fascinating point about the dangers of exclusivity in religion by stating, rather poetically, that mystery is one of the key facets of faith. And uncertainty and change are always facets of life. Part of my own conclusion from this book is to beware anyone who claims they know the only way to live and that all who do not follow that way should be silenced, fixed, or destroyed.

However, he issues a powerful plea for resistance to intolerance, pointing out that in our desire to accept a multiplicity of views, we should be wary of giving credence to views that explicitly attack and neutralize those who disagree; e.g.; it is in fact dangerous to be tolerant of intolerance. It's a bit of a paradox, honestly, though he attempts to set up guidelines by delineating free speech, for instance, from hate speech. I especially appreciated his discussion of the dangers of oversimplification and judgment, of accepting the world as predictable and binary. His approach calls for integrity, critical thinking, and courage in a world that where we often crave the reductive. Hedges points out that there are, in fact, no short cuts....more

Chris Hedges paints a rather frightening, regressive, misogynistic view of the underground Christian Right, a fundamentalist movement he alleges is closely linked to neo-conservatism and the American Republican party. Citing a plethora of anecdotal evidence -- which, I feel, both makes his thesis of Christo-fascism increasingly terrifying, yet also manages to come off as patently absurd -- Hedges tells a tale of a vocal minority of Christians actively working to dominate and oppress those they Chris Hedges paints a rather frightening, regressive, misogynistic view of the underground Christian Right, a fundamentalist movement he alleges is closely linked to neo-conservatism and the American Republican party. Citing a plethora of anecdotal evidence -- which, I feel, both makes his thesis of Christo-fascism increasingly terrifying, yet also manages to come off as patently absurd -- Hedges tells a tale of a vocal minority of Christians actively working to dominate and oppress those they disagree with; their ultimate goal, he claims, is the eventual destruction of the tolerance and democratic values of our open society.

While Hedges asserts at the end of the book that he feels that a Christian Fascism will not happen in America, he also claims that we are one major disaster -- be it economic, natural, or terroristic -- away from the Christian Right usurping power, at which point this body of people would establish a Christian theocracy.

Much of the rhetoric used by the fundamentalists featured in the book is maddening; for example, many of the leaders of this burgeoning fascistic movement make the ludicrous claim that America was founded on Christian ideals, which is a revisionist spin of such magnitude, whole cities could by powered by dynamos attached to it. The book is filled with hate-filled intolerance aimed at homosexuals, liberals, and secular-humanists, the latter of which is apparently a gaudy, widely used pejorative.

Hedges claims that the only way to combat those on the Religious Right is to take "acts of faith," thereby using the tools of these potential oppressors against them. He asserts that, at times, tolerance is not appropriate: in effect, we need to be intolerant of intolerance. He claims also that our current culture of run-away consumerism must be checked, at least to the point where jobs are returned to those they were stripped from.

While he offers much in the way of anecdotal evidence to support his claims, Hedges often leaves little discussion for his points, other than to (possibly) take his quotes out of context to make them seem exaggerated and obviously ludicrous. Although I do not disagree with his viewpoint, nor most of his conclusions*, Hedges is not a powerful writer, and the editing of his book is rather choppy on occasion. His book would be appropriate to get a brash overview of the purported world-view of the Christian Right, but I would definitely recommend Dawkins' The God Delusion, Dennett's Breaking the Spell, or Harris's The End of Faith over American Fascists.

* As a staunch atheist, I do not feel that "faith" -- at least, in the quasi-religious sense that Hedges briefly mentions as being useful -- nor reading of Bible is imperative to rational discourse or nation-building....more

What I love most about this book is that Chris Hedges had the sense to know that this story is far too important to not make it widely accessible to the average reader. He chose not to use the "feels like I'm reading a Newsweek column," language typical of many journalists. He interweaves interesting personal stories in each chapter which keep the reader enthralled and still manages to convey the deeper political implications at hand. You can be a Jr. High School student, with absolutely no inteWhat I love most about this book is that Chris Hedges had the sense to know that this story is far too important to not make it widely accessible to the average reader. He chose not to use the "feels like I'm reading a Newsweek column," language typical of many journalists. He interweaves interesting personal stories in each chapter which keep the reader enthralled and still manages to convey the deeper political implications at hand. You can be a Jr. High School student, with absolutely no interest in or knowledge of the Fundamentalist Christian Right movement or politics at all, and still find the book interesting and grasp the dangers presented. The book was informitive and timely, yet managed to be both entertaining and fun to read. Loved it! Chris Hedges is fast becoming one of my favorite journalists. I recommend it for adults, but more importantly for teens, the future of this country.

From American Fascists:

"God is inscrutable, mysterious and unknowable. We do not understand what life is about, what it means, why we are here and what will happen to us after our brief sojourn on the planet ends. We are saved, in the end, by faith--faith that life is not meaningless and random, that there is a purpose to human existence, and that in the midst of this morally neutral universe the tiny, seemingly insignificant acts of compassion and blind human kindness, especially to those labeled our enemies and strangers, sustain the divine spark, which is love."

"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant. We should claim that any movement preaching intolerance places itself outside the law, and we should consider incitement to intolerance and persecution as criminal, in the same way as we should consider incitement to murder, or to kidnapping, or to the revival of the slave trade, as criminal." ~Karl Popper, The Open Society and Its Enemies...more

This book reminds me of how sad I feel around the very committed Christians of whom make up most of my world. I long for them to be progressive, tolerant in the best sense, or at the very least stop demonizing the people who don’t believe the exact brand of belief they adhere to. Figures like Rushdoony and Schaeffer (though not so much the “buffoons” of the TBN empire) influence their theology as much as the Bible. The organized effort to dominate, as Hedges shows, pervades their “worldview,” laThis book reminds me of how sad I feel around the very committed Christians of whom make up most of my world. I long for them to be progressive, tolerant in the best sense, or at the very least stop demonizing the people who don’t believe the exact brand of belief they adhere to. Figures like Rushdoony and Schaeffer (though not so much the “buffoons” of the TBN empire) influence their theology as much as the Bible. The organized effort to dominate, as Hedges shows, pervades their “worldview,” language, and treatment of “the other” (I’m sort of afraid to ask them, but I suspect they would even acknowledge the title “dominionist”). The local churches are obsessed with what they view as the imminent apocalypse of Revelation. To my childhood logic, these things seemed so contrary to the basic Gospel message they taught during Sunday school. Some reviewers have mentioned that Hedges’ tone is “hysterical” (which I think he has a right to be, all things considered), but he reminds us that he does not “believe that America will inevitably become a fascist state or that the Christian Right is the Nazi Party. But [he does:] believe that the radical Christian bears within it the tenets of a Christian fascism” (211). He explains how liberals in early Nazi Germany remained passive which led to dire consequences. Finally, Hedges states, “Tolerance is a virtue, but tolerance coupled with passivity is a vice.” I needed this reminder so that the next time I am seething with irritation at statements my Christian family and friends make, I, rather than avoid conflict, will speak up for what my conscience says is right. ...more

American Fascists: The Christian Right and The War on America by Chris Hedges, graduate from seminary at Harvard Divinity School and two decade war correspondent, points out the elephant in the room. Much of the country is aware of the extreme Christian Right’s agenda for dominating our government, education, private life, and foreign policy. In short, their aim is to turn the US into a Christian theocracy and thereby enforce a Christian global rule. Their buffoonish rhetoric would be laughableAmerican Fascists: The Christian Right and The War on America by Chris Hedges, graduate from seminary at Harvard Divinity School and two decade war correspondent, points out the elephant in the room. Much of the country is aware of the extreme Christian Right’s agenda for dominating our government, education, private life, and foreign policy. In short, their aim is to turn the US into a Christian theocracy and thereby enforce a Christian global rule. Their buffoonish rhetoric would be laughable if it wasn’t for the significant influence they’ve seized. Hedges gives an in depth look into the inner working of the Christian Right. He attends conversion seminars, conventions, and interviews current and past members. His main argument is that the figureheads of the Christian Right are purposely distorting Christianity to serve their grab for raw power and institutionalize a Christo-fascist state.

The acceptance of Islamophobia, creationism as a viable science, and blurring definition between church and state are real victories of the Christian Right’s attacks on rational argument and a free society. The real importance of this book is that Hedges addresses the idea of tolerance. How tolerant should a free society be towards intolerance? The question is paradoxical. On one hand if we fully tolerate groups with a fascist agenda we risk having them ending our open society. Yet if we are intolerant and oppress their freedom of speech, then we will have ultimately lost.

Voltaire is quoted saying “I don’t agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Being that I have highly unpopular views, freedom of speech is a civil liberty I refuse to live without. For that reason I agree with Voltaire’s view of universal tolerance. But when a fascist group, be it the Christian Right or any leftist group, is actively trying to instill intolerance it will be our duty to never become passively tolerant. That is the reason I respect this book, it is a call for every anti-fascist person to realize there are fascist movements in this country and to stand up and denounce them for what they are, American Fascists.

"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."-Sinclair Lewis ...more

Entering the mindset of the average homosexual-hating fundamentalist Christian makes for one hell of a trip. Given the subject matter and the stark title, the author clearly knew he had to provide evidence for allegations which strike to the heart of US politics.

Part of the decision to read the book in the first place was in reaction to recent news stories involving a certain hate group thought by many to represent the outer limits of American religious extremism. I was completely unprepared toEntering the mindset of the average homosexual-hating fundamentalist Christian makes for one hell of a trip. Given the subject matter and the stark title, the author clearly knew he had to provide evidence for allegations which strike to the heart of US politics.

Part of the decision to read the book in the first place was in reaction to recent news stories involving a certain hate group thought by many to represent the outer limits of American religious extremism. I was completely unprepared to find that many churches differ only from Fred Phelps' cult of loathing in two significant ways. One is that they're not all in Westboro and the second is in their PR methods.

American Fascists exposes how a culture war is being lost to totalitarian forces who have no need to picket funerals because their powerbase outgrew such attention seeking behaviour many moons ago. As a reader in the UK, where these perverse ideaologies have begun to enter our discourse via intelligently designed Tory dinosaurs like Anne Widecombe, it makes for a timely warning. Prepare to lurch right....more

If you're expecting an anti-Christian screed, you'll be disappointed. Hedges offers a well-documented, frightening look at the people and organizations that want to make their own moral codes into laws and punish everyone who has a deviant opinion. He calls on people of faith who do _not_ have a Dominionist bent to stand up to those who do before it's too late. It is also free of a whacky conspiratorial tone, which I feared it might have (he acknowedged that the portion of Christian Fascists isIf you're expecting an anti-Christian screed, you'll be disappointed. Hedges offers a well-documented, frightening look at the people and organizations that want to make their own moral codes into laws and punish everyone who has a deviant opinion. He calls on people of faith who do _not_ have a Dominionist bent to stand up to those who do before it's too late. It is also free of a whacky conspiratorial tone, which I feared it might have (he acknowedged that the portion of Christian Fascists is small, but is allowed to have huge influence because other Christians do nothing about it). I gave it only 3 stars because it was a bit repetitive, and I disagree with him when he calls for hate crime legislation and equal air time, since I am rabidly opposed to policing people's thoughts, motives, or speech. Doing so is as bad as what the fascists are doing. Otherwise, a very good book. ...more

Somewhat disappointing. I am done with Hedges. His shrill and alarmist tone is grating and too often, as in some of his other books, he fails to prove his thesis. I am just as alarmed as he is about the religious Christian right. To me, they are no better than the Ayatollahs and the Taliban. Same ilk. But Hedges is turning into a conspiracy theorist who seems to see a plot for domination of our society around every corner. It was the same with his Empire of Illusion - lots of innuendo, no substaSomewhat disappointing. I am done with Hedges. His shrill and alarmist tone is grating and too often, as in some of his other books, he fails to prove his thesis. I am just as alarmed as he is about the religious Christian right. To me, they are no better than the Ayatollahs and the Taliban. Same ilk. But Hedges is turning into a conspiracy theorist who seems to see a plot for domination of our society around every corner. It was the same with his Empire of Illusion - lots of innuendo, no substance. I loved his War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. But I am beginning to think that it was an exception.If you want to read a better and more nuanced account of the hoodwinking of the American public than this or the Empire of Illusion, read Thomas Frank's books. What's the Matter with Kansas was brilliant....more

I'll be mulling over some of his conclusions for a while. Specifically, he says there's no point in trying to work with the Dominionists/extreme fundamentalists as they aren't interested in dialogue. I see his point, but I'm still not sure that fighting a slammed door with a slammed door is the answer.

That said, this is a great (though disturbing) primer on the theme I've been reading lately, the radical right (in particular the Rushdoony/Dominionists) plotting and successfully taking over fundaI'll be mulling over some of his conclusions for a while. Specifically, he says there's no point in trying to work with the Dominionists/extreme fundamentalists as they aren't interested in dialogue. I see his point, but I'm still not sure that fighting a slammed door with a slammed door is the answer.

That said, this is a great (though disturbing) primer on the theme I've been reading lately, the radical right (in particular the Rushdoony/Dominionists) plotting and successfully taking over fundamentalist Christianity and, most frightening, our political system.

Scary. Very scary. I just unfriended on Facebook a guy who was described frightenly accurately in this book; a "nice" guy, "Christian", well-to-do, apallingly hateful and close-minded. I had thought that if I remained calm and reasonable and presented facts from impartial sources(as the book said I would do), this guy would engage in a dialogue. Nope. I'm "one of Satan's minions". Wow.

One result of my reading this book: I'll no longer be quiet to be polite when crazy folks spew hate and lies.

SorScary. Very scary. I just unfriended on Facebook a guy who was described frightenly accurately in this book; a "nice" guy, "Christian", well-to-do, apallingly hateful and close-minded. I had thought that if I remained calm and reasonable and presented facts from impartial sources(as the book said I would do), this guy would engage in a dialogue. Nope. I'm "one of Satan's minions". Wow.

One result of my reading this book: I'll no longer be quiet to be polite when crazy folks spew hate and lies.

Every generation has an Anti-Christ. At one time it was Napoleon, then it was Hitler and so on. In my youth it was "The Communists". Today it is "The Muslims". Hedges describes and documents in frightening detail the people we have most to fear. Christian Extremists have been slowly working their way into political power in an unholy alliance with the Republicans. This book tells why they are to be feared and how they work. It ought to be MUST reading for everyone concerned about freedom and demEvery generation has an Anti-Christ. At one time it was Napoleon, then it was Hitler and so on. In my youth it was "The Communists". Today it is "The Muslims". Hedges describes and documents in frightening detail the people we have most to fear. Christian Extremists have been slowly working their way into political power in an unholy alliance with the Republicans. This book tells why they are to be feared and how they work. It ought to be MUST reading for everyone concerned about freedom and democracy in America, Canada and the world. ...more

I enjoyed this book and it scared the check out of me. The influence of a subset of evangelical Christians on the political agenda of the Republican party, or vise versa is extremely clear. The emphasis on guns, God, gays and restriction of women's rights is very clearly driven by the "faith-based" community. I am terrified at the prospect of any government that is run or creates laws based on a specific subset of their religious views. Legislated morality is a very dangerous concept, especiallI enjoyed this book and it scared the check out of me. The influence of a subset of evangelical Christians on the political agenda of the Republican party, or vise versa is extremely clear. The emphasis on guns, God, gays and restriction of women's rights is very clearly driven by the "faith-based" community. I am terrified at the prospect of any government that is run or creates laws based on a specific subset of their religious views. Legislated morality is a very dangerous concept, especially when it involves consensual crimes or personal choice. In matters,of science or civil rights, thousands of year old beliefs are really bad news and to be avoided at all costs. Religion is a personal matter. I am grateful for the churches that run food pantries and provide shelter for the homeless but feel that government that uses it as an excuse to discard their own citizens is unacceptable. The threat posed by a very strong group of evangelicals in union with a powerful and well funded group of politicians and heads of unfettered transnational corporations is very real. I believe those who support secular government and a sustainable future must fight against this threat to our constitution and our freedoms. I thought this book, while not perfect, contained a lot of truth and am glad,to see it out in the open....more

Christopher Lynn Hedges is an American journalist, author, and war correspondent, specializing in American and Middle Eastern politics and societies. Hedges is known as the best-selling author of War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002), which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction.Chris Hedges is currently a senior fellow at The Nation Institute in New York CiChristopher Lynn Hedges is an American journalist, author, and war correspondent, specializing in American and Middle Eastern politics and societies. Hedges is known as the best-selling author of War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002), which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction.Chris Hedges is currently a senior fellow at The Nation Institute in New York City....more

“The split in America, rather than simply economic, is between those who embrace reason, who function in the real world of cause and effect, and those who, numbed by isolation and despair, now seek meaning in a mythical world of intuition, a world that is no longer reality-based, a world of magic.”
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“The triviality of American popular culture, its emptiness and gossip, accelerates this destruction of critical thought. It expands the void, the mindlessness that makes the magic, mythology, and irrationality of the Christian Right palatable. Television, the movement’s primary medium, allows viewers to preoccupy themselves with context-free information. The homogenized empty chatter on the airwaves, the banal amusement and clichés, the bizarre doublespeak endlessly repeated on cable news channels and the huge spectacles in sports stadiums have replaced America’s political, social and moral life, indeed replaced community itself. Television lends itself perfectly to this world of signs and wonders, to the narcissism of national and religious self-exaltation. Television discourages real communication. Its rapid frames and movements, its constant use of emotional images, its sudden shifts from one theme to an unrelated theme, banish logic and reason with dizzying perplexity. It, too, makes us feel good. It, too, promises to protect and serve us. It, too, promises to life us up and thrill us. The televangelists have built their movement on these commercial precepts. The totalitarian creed of the Religious Right has found in television the perfect medium. Its leaders know how television can be used to seduce and encourage us to walk away from dwindling, less exciting collectives that protect and nurture us. They have mastered television’s imperceptible, slowly induced hypnosis. And they understand the enticement of credo quia absurdum—I believe because it is absurb.”
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